Rainy Days
by faery-of-fiction
Summary: Shishido finds out that rainy days aren't so bad thanks to Atobe.


**Author Notes:** This fic wanted to become monstrously long but I wanted to leave it with a more hopeful ambiguous ending.

* * *

Shishido glanced out the window of his classroom and gave another long sigh as rain was still battering the window. Rainy days always made him feel so lethargic. He wasn't about to curl up on his desk like Jirou but he was certainly tempted.

As the geometry teacher droned on, Shishido picked up his ruler and leaned forward to gently poke Jirou's back before running it up through blonde wavy hair. He smiled as Jirou stirred and then batted a hand against the offending ruler.

If it had been Gakuto or Taki he probably would have continued on poking them but there was just something about picking endlessly on Jirou that made him feel like he was kicking a sleeping puppy. So reluctantly he tucked his ruler back into his notebook and pretended to listen to the teacher.

In reality he was drawing random doodles, tennis balls, doubles formations he wanted to try, a chibi Yoda beating up a chibi Darth Vader and a random sketch of a chibi tennis player with a mole below his right eye. Noticing what he'd done, he hastily scratched the last one out and actually began taking notes.

When the final bell rang, Shishido gave one last longing look outside before packing up his things and pulling Jirou away from the giggling girls who had oh so helpfully woken him up and offered up their notes.

"Come on Jirou, rainy days mean you can go home and get a proper nap." He encouraged as he walked to the entrance where they could exchange their shoes and grab their umbrellas. It wasn't long until he was on the front walk heading to the gates, but half way there he stopped and looked back at the building and then waved his friends on without him.

When he returned, the entrance was nearly empty. Without all of the jostling for space it was easier to change his shoes and replace his umbrella into his cubby. In no time at all he was walking back through the halls and up stairs until he came to a stop in front a closed door with a plaque with the words 'Student Council' neatly engraved on it.

Shuffling closer, Shishido cupped an ear against the door. He didn't hear any voices, only the occasional shuffle of paper.

Smiling, he opened the door and poked his head in. "Hey," he said to Atobe. His captain was currently reclining behind a desk with numerous piles of papers, folders and a laptop on it.

When blue eyes turned to him and acknowledged him, Shishido took that as invitation to enter and moved into the room. Pushing the door closed with his foot, he tossed his bag to the ground by the couch and then flopped on to it.

"What brings you by Shishido?" Atobe asked setting the paper back onto the desk.

"No tennis."

"I noticed." Atobe inclined his head to the window and Shishido noted that it had gotten even more gloomy outside.

"Figured I might as well bug you."

"Shouldn't you be studying for entrance exams?"

Shishido groaned at the reminder of university entrance exams coming up. At least Hyoutei was an elevator school. Still, Atobe did have a point. "Brought my books. Quieter here than at home anyway."

Opening his bag, he pulled out his hated math book and cracked it open.

Frowning as he chewed on the end of his pencil, he noticed Atobe watching him and gave him a smile. "Yeah?"

"It's nothing. I was just amused. Your determined game face on the court isn't that different from the one facing math."

Shishido rolled his eyes at that. "Not all of us can be so damn perfect and get math the first time." He knew that Atobe worked harder than most did to keep up that perfect facade but even then it was something to be admired and not amused by.

"If you want help you could always ask," Atobe offered, amusement still clear in his eyes and the way the corner of his mouth turned up.

Like hell he was going to accept help when Atobe looked like that. Shishido had received that same look right before he accepted a friendly match and ended up sprawled on the courts gasping for breath. Not that good things didn't come out of it in the end, but even he wasn't that masochistic. Especially when it came to math.

"I'm fine."

"Suit yourself then." Atobe gave Shishido one last look before returning to the paperwork. The amount of which made Shishido very glad he wasn't the one in charge of the student body and the large tennis team.

"I will," Shishido mumbled around the pencil in his mouth.

He stretched out on the couch, thankful for Atobe's penchant for plush opulence. He wondered how many other high school students had a comfy and obviously expensive couch in their student council office.

As he worked on his math questions, he felt his eyes growing heavy. The soft noises coming from Atobe's direction, the pelting of rain against the windows and the soft drone of the school's electricity lulled him until he fell asleep.

He didn't even stir as his text book slowly slid off his chest and onto the floor with a loud thud.

~o~o~o~

"Shishido. Get up, I want to lock up," Atobe's voice called and penetrated into his head.

Slowly, Shishido stirred and swatted away Atobe's hand. "'m up. I'm -" His prostests were broken by a yawn.

Feeling slightly like Jirou, he reached high above his head to stretch muscles before sitting up and looking out the window. The rain had slowed but the sky had darkened even further with the setting of the sun. "Damn, you should have woke me up sooner."

At least he'd be well rested when he stayed up late tonight to finish all of his homework. Leaning down to collect his fallen book, he shoved all of his things back into his bag and straightened.

"But you drool so cutely. Not to mention that would have required interrupting my work," Atobe said. He then picked up his own bag and moved to the door, obviously waiting for Shishido to go ahead of him.

"So kind and caring. No wonder everyone loves you."

"When you have good looks and money you don't need the charming personality." Atobe swooshed his hair back and Shishido couldn't help but laugh at the silly sentence and pose. Atobe had plenty of charm when he wanted.

"If you say so. Come on let's go." Shishido walked past Atobe and waited for him to lock up before heading down the now deserted halls.

"You know, I had a weird dream while I wasn't drooling," Shishido started.

Atobe looked over at him, his steps slowing to give Shishido time to share his dream.

"It's hard to describe." He could remember the feeling of warmth against his cheek, the press of smooth lips against his. He blushed slightly and decided there was no way he was telling Atobe that. Instead he shrugged and waved it off. "Must have just been from too much math."

Atobe gave him an inquiring look as if he knew that he hadn't heard the truth. Shishido didn't care, it wasn't like he would guess what he had been dreaming of and it wasn't like he'd never been weird before.

Walking to his cubby, Shishido exchanged his shoes and grabbed his umbrella again. "You getting picked up again?"

"Yes. I have to rush across town to meet with my father for supper." _Or else I'd give you a ride_ was heard despite nothing else being said.

"I think I'll walk, burn off some energy from that nap,"

"You'll get wet."

"I'm not that sweet." He smirked and Atobe laughed.

"Truer words have never been said."

Heading to the school gate they walked as close together as their umbrellas allowed. They parted at Atobe's car and Shishido gave one last longing look to the warm dry interior of the limo before turning away and heading home. At least it wasn't a long walk.

After being suitably fussed at and lectured by his mother for coming home late and soaked through, Shishido managed to slip away to shower and change. Grabbing some food and retreating to his bedroom he stared at his discarded backpack before reaching for it with a sigh.

Sitting on his bed, he pulled out the books and contemplated what he should work on first as he took a bite of his sandwich. Eventually he decided to get the worst of it over with and finish off the last of his math homework.

Shishido leaned back on his pillows as he flipped through the pages of his workbook to see where he left off and immediately froze. That wasn't his writing and there were all these circles and notes here and there.

Looking closer, he realized that problems he did something wrong on were circled with explanations to the side. The other part was filled with example formulas and little cheats on how to remember equations and solve the problems. The notes made much more sense than any his math teacher had given him.

As he read the notes, he couldn't help but smile. Atobe had done this for him while he was sleeping despite the amount of work piling up needing Atobe's attention.

Then he remembered the dream. He raised his fingers to brush against his own lips and wondered if it had been more than that. Surprisingly, the thought didn't bother him. In fact, he realized with a start, he hoped it hadn't been just a dream. Had been secretly hoping for something like this for some time now. Atobe had always been more than just a captain to him and now he could be more than just a friend too.

Reaching for his cellphone, intent on calling Atobe, he remembered that he should still be at the dinner with his father and hastily switched to text messaging him.

_Keigo,_

Thanks for today. I owe you one. And not just for math.

Ryou

It wasn't the first time he had called Atobe by his first name, but it had felt different to use it this time. As if he was challenging Atobe to admit on some level that what happened today had happened. That there was more than just friendship between them.

Shishido stared at his phone for another ten minutes before deciding that Atobe was unable to answer it and focused back on his math. He was finishing the last question of the assigned homework when his phone chirped out the Imperial March Theme.

In his haste to reach for it he sent his books flying to the ground and he heard his mother call to him to ask if everything was alright. But he wasn't paying attention. His world was focused in on the reply text and what it could mean.

_I look forward to it. K._

It was simple and to the point. It hardly confirmed or implied anything yet Shishido couldn't stop grinning. It was ridiculous and girly. Completely insane and stupid even but he didn't care. He was maybe possibly going to start something amazing and special with a person he cared about and that was all that mattered.

That and not flunking out.

With a groan at how cruel the world was, he collected his books off the floor and focused on school work. But as the rain picked up the tapping against his window his thoughts were filled with the half memory of a hazy dream and the possibilities for tomorrow.

Perhaps if he was lucky, it would be another rainy day.

-End-


End file.
